


The Act

by Fabrisse



Category: Now You See Me (Movies)
Genre: Before the Vegas Show, Gen, Learning the Routines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 03:17:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13137960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabrisse/pseuds/Fabrisse
Summary: Dylan Rhodes gave them a great deal.  This is the part they had to figure out on their own.





	The Act

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Yeomanrand](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yeomanrand/gifts).



“Not the water escape,” Daniel said it as flatly and definitively as he could.

“Who put you in charge of our little group?” Merritt said.

Daniel looked at him. “You want the headaches, that’s fine. I bow to your wisdom.”

Merritt shrugged. “I don’t have enough wisdom to bring you up to speed. I’m not sure God himself does.”

“Why not, Danny? ‘Cause if it’s just your fear of drowning…” Henley was watching the by-play closely.

“You’re the one taking the risk. No, we need a good act to get Tressler’s attention. As good as that escape is, if we keep it in the show, we’re seriously limiting the places we can perform.”

“If it’s just the weight, we can use a slightly smaller…”

Daniel shook his head. “If it were just the weight… Some of it’s the water. Even places that can take the weight, if they’re old, won’t allow it because spilled water doesn’t work well with old wiring. Even if we could guarantee to cover the entire floor with something to protect it -- which would add to the set up time as well as adding yet another item to the truck -- the live fish are an issue.”

“It’s my best escape,” Henley said.

Jack looked up from where he was practicing a new sleight of hand Daniel had taught him and said, “So figure out a better one. I’ve seen some of the footage on YouTube, Henley, you can do anything. I mean, could you teach me to be that good?"

Henley said, “Tell you what, go to the Y and hold your breath underwater every day until you can last over five minutes. Once you can prove that, I’ll train you.”

Jack grinned like his birthday and Christmas had come all at once. “Really?”

“Really.”

Merritt said, “So right now we’ve got small things. One large thing has been vetoed, and the act still won’t last the approximately 90 minutes we need it to. What’s the up side?”

“The upside is that our benefactor said we could do any act we wanted as long as we incorporate his -- or her, I suppose -- elements at the right time. If we just want 90 minutes, I can do two ten minute segments, three if I use Jack. You can do a 20 minute segment and we can insert three ten minute large apparatus segments in between. Five minutes of patter at the beginning of each half and two minutes at the end and we’ve covered the time.”

“Sounds good,” Jack said. “You’d work with me?"

Merritt rolled his eyes at how starstruck he sounded.

“Yes, but my point is we’d be a whole bunch of separate acts. Now honestly, each of us will have to carry part of the show alone, probably in five minute bites while a segment is setting up…”

“That won’t work for me,” Merritt said holding up his hand. “Five minutes works at one on one gigs, but on stage I need at least fifteen for it to impress an audience.”

Henley said, “But you could do a five minute segment, if you had to?”

“In my sleep.”

“Then let’s hear what Danny has to say.”

“We all have our weaknesses and strengths,” Daniel began, “But even when what we’re doing is new, it’s not unique.”

“I don’t think there’s ever been a unique magic act, maybe Maskelyne using plain evening dress, but…” Merritt seemed thoughtful.

“Exactly. Every magician builds on what came before. The key is a new spin on the older illusions and coming up with something new.”

“Can you give me an example?” Jack said.

“Uh...Henley?”

“First one that springs to mind is Penn and Teller. They have one early set piece that’s not really an illusion, but is definitely not only a new spin on an old, old illusion, it helped define their personas, with one silent all the time.”

“Good choice,” Daniel said. “Penn is up there playing bass. In the early days, it was electric, but now he plays an upright, and Teller does a whole simple routine,” Daniel lit a cigarette and Henley tossed him the newsboy cap she was wearing. “Afterward Penn explains the seven basic principles: ‘palm, ditch, steal, load, simulation, misdirection, switch.'" Daniel performed the routine. “Then they do the whole thing again showing the audience how it’s done. It’s remarkable.”

Jack attempted the movements Daniel was doing with his hands and nodded. “A little practice.”

“Exactly,” Daniel said, “a little practice and anyone can do it. You could get at least the basics of it by the end of the afternoon. But, though they never mention it, Penn’s bass playing is a misdirection of sorts and, no matter how many times I’ve seen it, done it even, Teller is so smooth that I’m enthralled.”

Henley nodded. “I love that routine. Teller moves like a dancer,” she grabbed her hat back from Daniel and took the cigarette from between his lips, performing the same movements he’d just done, adding a little hip movement and making the whole routine feminine and slinky.

“All right, so we do something like that,” Jack said. Henley and Daniel shook their heads.

Merritt said, “Nah. The point is that Penn and Teller took the basics and made them magical. That’s real magic, the kind of thing I do in my own small way. What the great J. Daniel Atlas is saying is that we need to figure out how to take what already exists and put it together into something new. Now, really, I can do some basic sleight of hand, but I’m not really an illusionist. That’s the realm you two know.” He lifted his chin at Henley and Daniel. “So how do we do it?”

“Yeah, Danny, what’s going on up there?”

“Jack moves well, and, please don’t be offended, his patter’s a lot more natural than yours.”

Henley said, “So? You want me to go back to being the silent girl?” She held her arms out like a model showing off a dishwasher on a quiz show.

“No. I want Jack to be _your_ charming assistant. As fast as he moves, the fact that he can be deceptively quick and keep talking at a normal speed, we can use that for some of your less watery escapes. As we move up to better venues -- fewer college campuses and more civic theaters -- we can put the water escape back in, maybe find a way to update it with Jack.”

Merritt said, “Or you. I can see you diving in after the fair maiden.” He waved his arms dramatically in a way he knew would annoy Daniel.

Henley said, “Daniel doesn’t do water escapes. He’s actually pretty good with some escapes. It took me years to be as good as he was with the cuffs, though I think I was always better with the straitjacket.”

“You were, and since I haven’t practiced it since you left, you’re still better.”

“J. Daniel admitting someone else is better at something? Will wonders never cease?” Merritt fanned himself like a southern belle with the vapors. “And you don’t do water escapes? Pray tell.”

“I’m a Jewish kid with asthma. Frankly, that’s why I’m convinced Houdini wasn’t really of the tribe.”

While Jack and Merritt both snickered, Henley and Daniel locked eyes for a moment. The other two could practically see the entire conversation between them until they nodded.

Henley said, “That’ll work.”

“We can use it as a transition from Merritt’s segment to yours,” Daniel said.

Merritt said, “I know I claim to be able to read minds, but I’m really not a telepath.”

Jack said, “I think I get it. All four of us in straitjackets?”

Henley said, “Exactly. Merritt as the comedy and the misdirection.”

“The thing is,” Daniel added, “we need to come up with the illusion that caps it.”

“How do all four of us get into straitjackets?” Merritt asked.

“Audience member ties me up last,” Henley said. 

“So it won’t surprise anyone when you’re the first one out. After all, the audience member is either going to be a suspected plant or people will think he or she didn’t tie it right.”

Henley nodded. “All right. Daniel, I know you haven’t used that engineering degree in awhile, but you promise me a really good escape illusion, and I’ll work out the logistics of this one. Starting with training Jack and Merritt on the basics of getting out of a straitjacket.”

“Tell you what, Henley, once you’ve worked out exactly what the four straitjacket illusion will be, start working with Merritt on the patter we’ll need for it.”

“Sure, Danny.”

“Jack, once you’ve mastered the escape, you’ll come brainstorm with me on a new escape for Henley and how to make you her lovely assistant.”

“Oooh, he could wear short, shorts and go shirtless,” Henley said.

Daniel’s jaw worked for a minute until he finally just chuckled. “Why not? Let’s see how it goes. Now, then, how many straitjackets do we currently have?”

**Author's Note:**

> [This is the Penn and Teller routine mentioned.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4U-kHdXgz0)


End file.
